R.Edward Bashaw

Faculty Perceptions of Marketing Journals

The qualitative assessment of scholarly journals plays an important role in promotion and tenure decisions, recognition, scholarly dialogue, and the contribution to the knowledge base of marketing. To aid marketing faculty and administrators in this assessment, the latest perceptions among marketing faculty regarding the relative hierarchical positioning of scholarly marketing journals are reviewed. Besides the overall ranking, the study segments journals along two dimensions: AACSB- / non-AASCB-accredited institutions (American Assembly of College Schools of Business) and marketing doctorate- / non-doctorate-granting institutions. The results of this study can be used by various marketing faculty constituencies to aid in evaluating publication importance via their selected reference groups.

A conceptual approach to classifying sports fans

Develops a classification or typology of the sports fan. Specifically, contends that five different types of sports fans exist: temporary, local, devoted, fanatical, and dysfunctional. The need exists to identify the different types of fans due to the inadequacies of past theories to explain the totality of fan behavior. The usefulness of the typology is demonstrated by offering specific segmentation strategies for each classification. Finally, directions for future research are presented.

Salesforce automation issues prior to implementation: the relationship between attitudes toward technology, experience and productivity

One of the primary characteristics of the sales environment of the next century will be the proliferation of technology as an important component of the sales process. The successful salesperson of the future will be marked by an ability to incorporate and directly apply a wide range of technology in their interactions with customers. More than simple data access, sales technology is increasingly being used as a means by which the salesperson and customer interact. The overall objective of this study is to measure the attitude of salespeople toward the use of computer technology in a sales job and then ascertain the relationship between these attitudes and a salesperson’s job experience and productivity. The results of the study outline important managerial implications related to introducing and implementing new technology uses within a salesforce.

Research Productivity in the Journal of Business Research: 1985-1999

Abstract This article presents a thorough analysis of the research published in the Journal of Business Research ( JBR ) during the period of 1985–1999. First, each article published in JBR was categorized into a primary content area according to the broad subject areas covered by the journals editorial review boards. Marketing represents the largest area with 33% of the articles, followed by buyer behavior (18%) and international business (16%). Second, the contributing authors during the period of 1985–1999 were ranked according to the number of articles they had published in the journal. William R. Darden was the most published author with 9 articles, whereas Cynthia Webster was ranked first when adjusting for coauthorship. A similar analysis was conducted at the institutional level, with Louisiana State University being the top publisher with 27 articles. Additionally, we examined the impact of the published JBR articles in the top 12 journals corresponding to the JBR content areas. In this analysis, we found that JBR articles are heavily referenced in JBR , Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science ( JAMS ), Journal of Marketing ( JM ), Journal of Retailing ( JR ), Journal of Marketing Research ( JMR ), Journal of International Business Studies ( JIBS ), and Journal of International Marketing ( JIM ). Individually, the JBR contributions by Robert E. Spekman and Shelby D. Hunt have had the most impact in the 12 journals used in the citation analysis. On the article level, the contribution by Emin Babakus and Gregory W. Boller titled “An Empirical Assessment of the SERVQUAL Scale” (published in 1992) has been the most frequently referenced article, having been cited 16 times since its publication.

Using Buyer’s Information Processing to Formulate Selling Strategies

Abstract This article introduces information processing theory to the sales literature. Specifically, this article presents piecemeal and category-based information processing as the two possible methods a buyer may use to process information during a sales presentation. Schema is introduced as containing all processed information within the buyer’s category. The article develops different strategies to be used by the salesperson based on whether the buyer’s schema is positive, negative, or neutral. Finally, the article illustrates the importance of determining the target of the buyer’s schema. Specifically, a discussion is presented concerning the impact on the buying strategy if the buyer’s schema targets the seller’s product, company, or the salesperson themselves.

A New Classification of Sales Resistance

Abstract The authors extend the definition of sales resistance to include both objections and counterarguments. A counterargument differs from an objection in that the buyer counterargues to defend a previously established schema about the salesperson, selling company, or product being sold. In addition, a previously established schema may exist about the competitor’s salesperson, company, or product. These previously established schemata may be positive, negative, or neutral. This study introduces nine different selling situations that a salesperson may encounter based on the buyer’s previously established schema. Each selling situation is explained by the amount of sales resistance a salesperson should expect, and the probability that the resistance would take the form of an objection or counterargument. Distraction is introduced as a possible method of reducing counterargumentation.

Improving sales training cycle times for new trainees: An exploratory study

Abstract Sales training is a key organizational process used by many firms to develop high-quality salespeople into value-added agents. This development of salespeople as value-added agents can be accomplished in a number of ways. The results of this study suggest cycle time improvements in sales training can be achieved by properly preparing trainees prior to staging role-play exercises. The managerial implications of the results include indications as to how organizations can save on training by reducing the time it takes to effectively train new salespeople as well as evidence that demonstrates that the training enhancers we introduce can increase the initial revenue generating potential of these new salespeople.

Political Activities in the Global Industrial Marketplace

Abstract The marketplace in which firms operate is becoming increasingly global in nature. Current research focuses on comparative themes (e.g., cross-cultural/cross-national attitude and behavior differences) relevant to consumer markets. However, there is a noticeable lack of research dealing with issues directly related to industrial firms. The purpose of this study is to compare the level of trade barriers experienced by industrial goods and industrial service firms, and the tactics used to deal with these barriers, in the global market. The results show: (1) industrial service firms experience higher levels of politically based impediments in their global operations than do industrial goods firms, (2) industrial service firms attach higher levels of importance to firm-level political behaviors to deal with these impediments, and (3) the political activities emphasized by industrial service firms are significantly different from those emphasized by industrial goods firms.

On Recontextualising Sales Resistance: A Defense of Information Processing-Based Classifications

Abstract The authors defend their previously developed information processing-based, two-dimensional classification of sales resistance (objections and counterarguments). This classification of sales resistance was developed in two articles 1 , 2 appearing in a previous issue of Industrial Marketing Management. In the sales resistance article, the authors developed selling strategies for dealing with objections and counterarguments. One selling strategy presented for a counterargument was distraction. In “Recontextualising Sales Resistance: A Response to Hunt and Bashaw,” Clark and Pinch [3] argue the classification of sales resistance developed by Hunt and Bashaw [2] “may not always have analytical salience or be prescriptively useful.” In this article, the authors carefully scrutinize both perspectives so that the verisimilitude of each perspective may be determined. Specifically, this article closely examines some of the assertions made by Clark and Pinch [3] and presents the strengths and weaknesses of their conclusions.

Who Owns the Customer Relationship

Relational marketing has enjoyed a rich literature stream since Dwyer, Schurr, Oh (1987) wrote one of the disciplines seminal articles. As reported by Gruen, Summers, and Acito (2000), most of the research studies on relationships in marketing have centered on relationships between members of a marketing channel (c.f., Brown, Lusch, and Nicholson 1995; Kumar, Scheer, and Steenkamp 1995; Morgan and Hunt 1994). In the relationship marketing literature, it appears as if most researchers assume that the relationship exists between organizations. Specifically, it is assumed that the relationship exists between the selling organization and the buying organization. For a positive relationship to develop between two entities, it is logical to assume that the relationship evolved due to a series of positive outcomes. Looking at relationship marketing from the buyers perspective, the buyer must have experienced positive outcomes with some combination of the sellers product(s), the sellers boundary personnel (salesperson/people) or the selling organization as a whole. The question becomes “ to whom does the buyer attribute the positive outcomes. In addition, the buyer has two levels at which the relationship can lie, the individual buyer, or the entire buying organization. Therefore, the possible permutations of relationships in this scenario are: